The politics of the dance floor and other matters involving bass.

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Tag Archives: Barney Iller

(After watching the UMF Live Stream this weekend, I was surprised at the severe homogeneity of music spun on the main stage. So in the spirit of underdog advocacy, I’m going to start writing about the less commercially popular genres of electronica that may never be classified as “EDM, bro.” I decided to start our journey with Breaks, or Breakbeat.)

I’ve listened to a tremendous amount of breaks in my life, but it’s not always on my daily rotation. I tend to listen to breaks in peaks and valleys, listening to only it for weeks, then going months without a single track. I was playing jazz trumpet at the time and the syncopation & irregular spacing of the beats instantly drew me in. I couldn’t find too much of it back in the Wild West days of Napster, Audiogalaxy & Kazaa, so the closest thing I could find to real breaks way back in the day was Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim.

The combination of the jumping bass, rambling beat, Walken being awesome and the broken sounds became an instant classic for me and a large portion of the US listening public if I recall correctly. This spiraled into a love affair with the DJ Icey.

I later got into Stanton Warriors, who recently took NYC by storm. But, the artist I’ve always gotten the most out of, is Krafty Kuts. Krafty kreates melodies that mash dozens of tracks a together over an hour, and is one of my undisputed masters of breaks. The vibe is undeniable, and check out his Summer 2013 mix in case you don’t agree with me (below).

It’s intensely difficult to find this kind of music in NYC, which is predominantly a House, Hip Hop & Electro town. Which brings me to some people I care about very much, Vitamin B.

These guys have been holding it down when it comes to breaks for years now, and there’s an authenticity here that can’t be matched anywhere else in the city. They’ve been in a few different spaces recently, but they’re settling in one of the premiere new spots in Brooklyn. That being The Paper Box. They’ve been nailing it with the talent coming in, with Mafia Kiss showing up on Friday. This guy did the very first Armory Podcast for my west coast readers, and is generally awesome breaks DJ. There’s a fluidity to his transitions that seem to maintain your energy & momentum as he flows through samples & tracks.

If you’re a long-time reader, you know I’ve sung the praises of these guys before, but now that I’ve gotten a slightly wider audience, I wanted to echo my sentiment again that THIS IS SOMETHING TO GO TO. Tektite, Tim & TAFCABI continue to be resident beat jedis, and this is a no muss, no fuss event. Show up in dancing shoes, go early for hoopy hour until 11:30 so you’re done with it by the time I get there, and enjoy yourself. This is Terry Gotham, see you on the dance floor this Friday.

This event last year was actually my inspiration for my “Party of the Month” series & this year’s version looks incredible. At a secret 60,000 sq ft. location in Brooklyn with different theme camps, areas domes, lounges and ostensibly, activities! There’s something for everyone at this event, with the Impresario Drew Meeks being joined by Daniel Zen, Tim The Enchanter, The Wizzard Disorient himself & an old friend KaytiBunny and a literal cavalcade of stars. I’m actually kind of concerned the post is going to be too long and you’ll stop reading because of all of the music I’m about to shove into your face. And just to top it all off, this is all being done to support the artists, Figment (discussed here), Dance Parade, Burners Without Borders and other charitable organizations. Yup, it’s non-profit and awesome.

An-ten-nae is Acid funk/crunk/spunk at its finest, and OneGoodReason has pulled some strings & called in some favors to get some excellent West Coast talent out here. Kraddy is another highlight, Android Porn (one of his best tracks) being one of my very favorite tracks of all time. The Human Experience is showing up with a delicious funky, dubby, soulful batch of goodness, being backed up by Love and Light, emerging to remind us we’re wonderful with heady beats. I’m not going to mention every DJ spinning, but there are some real stand outs for me on this line-up.

Connie has a devoted techno & tech-house following in Brooklyn & once you put one of her mixes on, you’ll understand why. Smooth perfection awaits you. Orion Keyser does wonderful house-related work & I can happily brag that I’ve paid the man for his time and skill. I’ve not had the honor of doing so for the deep, funky & stunningly smooth stylings of REsy (discussed previously here, here & here), but give me a minute. Tektite & Tim The Enchanter are doing something that looks like a vs. set, which, has officially has a billion percent chance of being awesome.

In the Silent Disco (Fuck Yea Silent Disco!), the hits just keep on coming, with dueling beat warriors pushing out some of the best underground music in NYC. Alex Funk has been talked about quite a bit around here, as has Barney Iller. These two could just spin for 6 hours and people wouldn’t mind in the slightest. But they’re being joined by some other stalwart Burner warriors like DK, Friar Tuck, Kannizle & 2Melo. I could yammer on about how awesome they are, but, the music does the talking way better than I do. There’s even live acts, with the rock band I recently interviewed (Suntalk) performing. I told you it was going to be ridiculous.

The VJ work is going to be second to none. VJ Krunch is joined by a platoon of VJs & art by DomeStar, Thunder Gumbo & Livio Mancini. It’s going to be as wonderful for your eyes as your ears. KaytiBunni Roberts is bringing like 30 flow performers to amaze while Kae Burke & Anya S will be repping Lady Circus in glorious fashion. Rewi Bracy & Jeff Robinson of Hoop Hooligans are actually traveling all the way from New Zealand (yes, really) for the first time to perform for all you lovely people. Locally, Seanna Sharpe has been amazing audiences overhead for years, traveling the world & finally settling down in NYC to blow minds and win hearts.

This is an event with all of the trappings, so dust off your favorite disco tuxedo and angel wings. Just in case you need some help, DanceSafe will be there along with Gratitude’s own Love Patrol to ensure that people remain hydrated and can deal with the massive sensory experience that this is going to be. If that’s something you’re into (I’m a HUGE fan of these kinds of services at dance events), drop them a line, they’d love your help.

There are very few tickets left, so grab them if you want to enjoy something special this holiday. I know it’s a touch pricier than the events you usually see me recommend, but this is one of the few cases it’ll be worth it I wager. If you can swing it, swing for the fences & enjoy yourself in grand fashion. Check out this photo gallery from 2011 if you don’t believe me: http://gratitudenyc.org/2013/gallery/gratitude-2011

There is a multiplier in the city when it comes to prices of events around major holidays. Labor Day, New Years, Memorial Day and of course, Halloween, everyone’s favorite reason to dress up like Sexy Grumpy Cat, is no exception to this rule. So instead of talking about some party that accepts payment in gold bullion or encrypted key phrases, there are people hard at work putting together a few different low cost events in and around the H-day. I’ll be dropping links into pictures and quick descriptions, but these will come Fast and Furious (Woo Sexy Ford Mustang costume!), so look around and make sure you get value for your party dollar. Sadly, while the one above is a likely attend for me, it’s full. I know, I’m a tease. However, below, feast my children of the night.

Gemini & Scorpio have been killing it for long enough to become a household name here in Gotham. Well, maybe if you live in a really fun house, but still, between their banya parties, their electro-swing steampunk fanciness and their general all around amazing taste, they do good things. This Saturday they’re doing their annual ridiculous Masquerade Ball/Macabre. When the Village Voice gives them props for throwing an absinthe-laced, half circus & half Victorian ball, you now they’re doing something right. $20 is an amazing value for this event and it’s also the most expensive event on the list. If you have it, Do eet.

My boy Nutritious is taking over Pianos on Halloween with a friend that goes by the name of Commodore. It’ll be a proper night of dance music at a bar in the sweet spot in town. If you need any help being convinced of my boy Nutritious’ ability to hold it down, see here and here. 😀

The day after Halloween, my ridiculously talented bass jedi friends Shakey, Tektite & Barney The Iller have brought in bobby c sound tv for some good old fashion fun involving speakers, mashup fun and a delightful amount of bang for your $10/15 buck.

The fabled Rubulad has resurfaced once more to grace us with a Ghost Ship, haunting performances, live music and some crazy cabaret. If you’re in their hood, Rubulad is the stuff of legend so do what you need to.

(Update: Stanton Warriors visa had issues, so they won’t be there, but Joro Boro & DJ Shakey will be there! Should be a full house and it’ll still be an amazing time! Keep it going and get over there!)

Back after the summer break, the party scene in NYC is heating back up. As the kids are back at NYU, the burners are home from the playa & the social-climbers have returned from the Hamptons, let’s get back to where we once belonged. In case you’re not done partying on a boat for the season, my friends at Vitamin B and Gemini & Scorpio bring forth one last naval adventure before it gets too cold to be waiting in line on the pier for the bouncer to stop fucking around with wristbands while your date is shivering their ass off. Gemini & Scorpio are lending a hand as well, so this should be a great mix of people buccaneering around Manhattan for a few hours. Captained by the nautical marvel himself, Guncle, I think we’re in for a wonderful time featuring a fantastic group of seamen performers.

Vitamin B had an unfortunate incident at the now departed House of Yes after some overzealous NYPD decided to pad their quotas for the month and are throwing a joint fundraiser with G&S to defray legal costs and re-ornament Guncle . The resident DJ Jedi Masters of Vitamin B will be bomping some of the choicest cuts, samples, jams, tunes and whatever else they found in their gargantuan aural archives. Tektite, Tim the Enchanter & Barney Iller (who has been discussed on this blog previously here, here and here), will be joined by a very good friend, $mall Change.

This guy has the best sense of funk, disco, dub, soul and smooth house I’ve ever heard, and he’s adding some breaks-y fun into the mix to ensure the Stanton Warriors are buttressed with hours of quality sonic therapy on either side of their live set. You heard me right. Stanton Freaking Warriors.

The Stanton Warriors are one of those groups you’d probably recognize instantly, if you realized how often their remixes/tracks are pushed into some of your favorite sets. These guys have a list of remixes longer than the baggy JNCO pants I wore back in high school, and they’ve maintained an impressive track record of live competence with quality releases. They’re a fantastic pick up for Vitamin B, who have been steadily pulling in impressive talent month after month this year. And, to cap it off, it’s not only on a boat, but it’ll be ending on the early side, so you can scamper off to another party afterwards and brag about how awesome your evening’s been already. See you there!

With school out for the summer, it seems the natives have gotten restless and out of nowhere Bubbles & Bass has swung into action. With the help of a cast characters from all around the city, they’re dropping a super legit prom on a spot just south of Port Authority. The HK Lounge does well for itself, and the surroundings should work delightfully with the high class, crafty prom Kings & Queens that will fill the space to capacity on the 13th.

At the sight of the absurdly over-sized PopDogs overflowing with puppies. They were cute, adorable, and populating the scene that pointed directly towards a very specific reminder of the serious problem that is canine overpopulation in cities. The popcorn analogy worked perfectly and the cuteness spilled out until you were reminded about how society digests pets and leaves a gigantic sick feeling in our society. I’d not really prepared for real “in your face” art, reminding me of reality, but then again I wasn’t really sure what to expect at all. However, I was already impressed.

One of the things that I never see enough of these days are tag-team sets. Lots of people do ridiculous sets, ostentatious work on the decks that gets the attention of the crowd, others do fun technical stuff like scratching, using 12 cdjs/turntables at the same time, and still more just press play and don’t do a damn thing. My favorite is when two people, friends or rivals, play back-to-back or tag-team. Two DJs doing some amazing work, watching each other’s backs and surprising each other with awesome tunes, sick transitions and surprises that you only get with two cooks in the kitchen. It seems the party Gods have heard my prayers, because next Friday, Entwined & Blackbird is coming together to throw one of the more creative events I’ve heard of in some time.